Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled

 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

- Luke 21:20-28

On Saturday we read that, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, "These things which you see -- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."  So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."  Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."

"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."  This is a very vivid prediction of what is to come in Jerusalem, and a warning to Jesus' followers and the early Church.  These events would occur in AD 70, at the Siege of Jerusalem.  Again we note that the destruction of the Temple and the "end times" are mingled in Jesus' prophecy.   It is the entry into the age in which we live, the initiation of "end times" which will culminate in His Return.

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."  These are the signs of the fulfillment of the times, of the age.  To see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory is an event all will witness when it happens.  But before this redemption draws near, we should remember that Jesus promises perplexity, and also fear and expectation that sets men's hearts failing.  This prophesy is not about a utopian life or perfect peace.  But while at His first coming, Jesus came in humility as human being, His Return will be revealed with power and great glory.

The times of the end are bound up with this central event of the destruction of the temple and the Siege of Jerusalem, in Jesus' telling.  We have to remember the audience to whom He's speaking at this time.  They are in the grand, splendid, extraordinary temple in Jerusalem.  His words are most likely simply unthinkable or unimaginable to His hearers.  But we know what happen approximately forty years from the time in which He speaks.  He speaks of the fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles, thereby teaching us about an initiation that begins with Him and with His prophecy.  This is the initiation of the time in which we live, which is also  the age of "end times" if we look at His prophecy in the Scripture.  When Jesus says (in Saturday's reading, above) that nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, He's describing sights that are very familiar to the whole "generation" of the Church, the times of the entire era Christian faithful.  It is a description of the times, the age in which we live, the time in which we await our redemption (that is, the time of His Return, as He says above).   Over all else, He emphasizes endurance and patience.  He warns us of the frightful times that will bring distress and perplexity and fearful expectations.  In Saturday's reading He warned of persecutions, but taught that they will be opportunities for testimony, and for reliance upon Him.   We're not to be dissuaded in any case, because when the true end comes, it will be unmistakable to all -- with power and great glory.  The emphasis here is on faith, on endurance in faith.  It is faith we must return to and rely on through all times.  We're warned of terrible fears, and reminded of the tests through His ministry that have already come to the apostles, such as the time when they crossed the Sea of Galilee, and feared they were perishing (Luke 8:22-25).  Jesus asked them then, "Where is your faith?"  The consistent teaching is to rely on Him, to have endurance and patience in our faith.  This is the response to fear, to the frightful things we may witness.  We may not understand all the factors and forces behind frightful violence, national struggles, even cataclysmic problems of nature.  But we are given a promise and a mission -- and also warnings of such times.   We are to endure, and by our patience possess our souls, as He said in Saturday's reading.  This is the great struggle:  it is one for faith, despite everything else we may witness or fear or find as challenge in our lives as we await redemption and His Return.  It's a great gift to understand that we will experience fear and frightening situations, and to know that the struggle for faith isn't one of mere stoicism, but of returning again to Him, His teachings, His word, and our reliance on His word and presence in our lives.